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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — to push
  9. content — happy
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — the amount
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — the cause
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. branch — a division
  23. root — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com